These moves run counter to the policies of some of Poland's biggest trading partners, France and Germany, who both opposed the war in Iraq and have led the charge in the EU for deeper investigation into recent claims that the CIA has secret prisons in the territory of Poland.

The question is whether all of this ass-kissing will get Poles the inclusion into the Visa Waiver Program they demand.

Or perhaps the populists over at PiS believe they're just "doing the right thing"?

Thursday, December 08, 2005

I'm in heaven

Thursday, December 01, 2005

The bravest woman in Poland

Is Henryka Bochniarz trying to commit political suicide or is she the only sane person in Poland?

In August this year, outgoing President Aleksander Kwaśniewski signed a very controversial bill which gave miners extremely favorable retirement benefits. The bill was controversial for two reasons: Firstly, it concerned only miners, and no one else. Shipbuilders, foundry workers, and farmers – all very powerful groups here in Poland, and all of which who work very hard under difficult conditions, were left out.

Secondly, the bill would cost Poland zł.18 billion in just the next 4 years. That’s over half of Poland’s projected budget deficit for this year – yes, that includes ALL of the government’s costs. Law and Justice, who control the current government, supported the law, which will cost Poland over 70 billion by 2020 (Polish link). That, as you can imagine, would significantly impede Poland’s progress toward joining the euro zone (not that Law and Justice cares anyway), and hamper Poland’s economic growth for years to come.

The amendment, although supported by the SLD, was not supported by the SLD Prime Minister at the time, Marek Belka. Belka is a technocrat economist who just recently lost out on the job to become president of the highly-regarded economic think-tank, the OECD. Belka decided to challenge the law in Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, roughly something like The US’ Supreme Court.

No verdict was ever handed down in the challenge. The Constitutional Tribunal never decided whether it was just to have the country pay with its future economic growth to provide for better retirement benefits to workers in extremely difficult conditions. The current government had already made that decision. This week, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, Belka’s successor from Law and Justice, withdrew the challenge, meaning the bill passed in August could officially and finally be considered law.

Her group, one of the top business-advocacy groups in Poland, sees the new miner’s bill as a disaster that will ruin Poland’s finances and keep Poland hobblingly poor for a generation. Thus, when PM Marcinkiewicz announced that his government would be withdrawing from the Constitutional challenge, Lewiatan – with Bochniarz at the forefront – brazenly declared that they would continue to support the challenge legally and financially.

According to Bochniarz’s arguments against the law (found here in Polish) the current miners’ retirement scheme costs every Polish worker zł.400 ($120.75 – just less than half the average monthly wage here) per year each, and is twice as high as the average state pension. According to Lewiatan, if the challenge is defeated, the new law will bring miners’ pensions to the level of four times that of the average state pension.

A just demand?

On the other hand, the average state pension (as anyone who knows anyone on a pension here can tell you) is meager. Most elderly cannot survive, or can barely survive, on it, and often work part time in awful conditions (many of them do not have marketable skills) to supplement their income. Miners have extremely difficult and dangerous jobs. Years of breathing in dust leaves them vulnerable to an early death caused by emphysema, at the very least (if they survive the accidents).

Should miners be punished for the ineptitude of the communist government which mismanaged the sector and didn’t train them in any other skills so that they would have some kind of economic mobility?

To be honest, this is a very difficult question for me, and I don’t know which side to come down on. On the one hand, I don’t think the rest of Poland should have to pay the price of economic stagnation, on the other, I do think miners deserve special consideration when it comes to their retirement.

Tough as tack

One thing’s for sure. Henryka Bochniarz is one hell of a brave lady (she was the only woman to run for President this year). As the law was being debated in the Sejm this summer, miners held a violent demonstration in which 37 police officers were injured. Miners are hugely powerful in this country, and as a political debate program on television showed yesterday, where she was incessantly attacked by both the participants and the audience, most of the establishment (powerful activist groups and mainstream politicians) is against her.

Still, she’s a voice of sanity in a loony and extremely aggressive political environment. Right or wrong, this lady cares about the future of Poland, and come hell or high water, she stands on her principles.

The US' new (old) best friend
We are moralist Catholics so in an old fashioned way we assume that US would not forget Poland when it would be in need of help. At least that is how I would read Kaczynski's mind or the Kaczynskis'.And yes they do believe they are doing the right thing. Their advisors are watching BBC and CNN for news. Remember Kwasniewski? this guy was glued to US and UK TV network news and then went around the world to propagate the right couses. Well he was a skilled politician compared to the idiot we have now for presidency. He is bound to fire into his own (our?) foot on international scene (as if anybody cared!) pretty soon but may be good for our internal affairs.Peace. Aren't those polish mushrooms awsome?Robertin an old fashioned way we assume that US would not forget Poland when it would be in need of help

Well, you know what assuming does.

Here's a novel idea: Maybe they are doing the right thing - with Iraq at least. Better for global stability if it doesn't look as if the US' entire coalition isn't abandoning Iraq.

As for the secret prison inquiries: Bah humbug. Let the UN or EU or whoever do whatever investigation they want. I find it highly improbable there was any torture afoot.

Then again, are they doing the right thing for the Polish people considering they're alienating important trading partners?

PS - the mushrooms are great. They put them in the pierogies.
Of course it's not that they think that they're only doing the right thing. All of foreign policy is tit for tat. I wonder how they think this loyalty will be rewarded. I have a feeling they're in for a big disappointment
The thing is, most Polish people realize that visa free travel is not very likely. I bet they'd be thrilled with easier less humiliating visas.- could be able to get visas without travelling to Warsaw- if you're turned down, your application fee is partially/fully returned (or the fee were 20 dollars instead of 100)

But, the visa program is designed to be a profit maker, so there's no way that anything will happen as long as Poles are willing to put up with the cost/humiliation factor. And for the present, they seem quite willing to. They bitch and complain but put up with it. Anyone who knows anything about Poland knows to not pay attention to what people say but to what they do.

Now a well organized (and disciplined) boycott would change things, but I don't see that happening.
Hey, you need to change your subject line to: "Poland: Ass-Kisser or only country in Europe with a Spine?"

So what if Polish policy irritates it biggest trading partners?, lest we forget the recent Russian-German gas pipeline deal - hey, they bypassed the Baltics and Poland!...granted this was done prior to the new German administration, but it does send a message...

Poland, more than most other EU countries understands not only occupation but violent suppression of civil liberties throughout their history -- so, perhaps someone like Sadam Hussein ruling Iraq resonates more with Poles than other EU countries, and when they make a statement about it, like in Iraq...try to keep this in mind...

Furthermore, Polish support for USA goes back to pre-USA history with, for example, Kosciusko during the Independence War...would you also suggest that Poland was an ass kisser?

And is it really a putdown to be accused of not acting like the French in foreign policy?...

History will decide how Poles are remembered for helping Iraqis, not the blinded in Bush hating haze libbies...

Its ashame that opinion has become so polarized on this issue, that one can't even express a bit of nuance on the issue without being accused of ideological treason...North Korea could learn alot from us on this one...
js~ I might be more inclined to agree with you if I was aware of politicians actually, you know, talking about how the Polish presence could help Iraqis.

From what I remember (in the Polish media) it seems that most policy makers end up talking more about US-Polish relations rather than what Iraq or Iraqis want/need.

I tend to defer to the Iraqis I know (one of the larger subsets of Arabs in Poland) in my opinions on that country and I don't hear them saying much about Polish participation one way or the other (strange but true). I'd love to see a secular civil society emerge from Iraq but I'm not holding my breath.
JS -

The point is, that when Germany and Russia do it, they're doing something "bad", ie, making unilateral decisions that could heavily impact other members of the Union. Some might argue that Poland's decision to stay in Iraq heavily impacts the security of anti-Iraq-war members, although I wouldn't.

[S]o, perhaps someone like Sadam Hussein ruling Iraq resonates more with Poles than other EU countries, and when they make a statement about it, like in Iraq...try to keep this in mind...

I would keep that in mind, JS, if it were true. The fact is that time and again Poles have stated in numerous surveys that they want nothing to do with their troops serving in Iraq. - So the only statement they are making is that their views on the matter are broadly in line with the rest of Europe's. Why aren't Polish politicians at a national level representing the people better? I haven't seen one Polish politician campaign on a policy of getting Poland out of Iraq as quickly as possible - yet that's clearly what the polls show the public wants.

After Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz burned potentially very useful political bridges with his break away from the British during the recent EU budget negotiations - all to appease the domestic audience.

Indeed, all of Poland's snubbing of EU partners on the entire gambit of issues running from the UniCredito-HVB merger to equating abortion with the holocaust (rebelliousness you seem to equate with "having a spine") are all only manifestations of popular Polish public opinion. Yet, they buck the trend with the US, who just happens to be bankrolling Polish military activity in Iraq, and who has promised a further $100 million in military aid. Of course, that aid hasn't quite made it here yet. So you'll excuse me if I call it ass kissing.

Furthermore, Polish support for USA goes back to pre-USA history with, for example, Kosciusko during the Independence War...would you also suggest that Poland was an ass kisser?

You can't be serious JS. At that time, the US was an ally of the French, and at war with the British. A lot's changed, hasn't it? Are you contending that countries continuously maintain the same allies throughout history? Come on.

The thing is, most Polish people realize that visa free travel is not very likely. I bet they'd be thrilled with easier less humiliating visas.

The visa process will be humiliating as long as Poles have to jump through more hoops to go to the US than an Americans who come to Poland.

One of the biggest inconveniences caused by Poland's unequal footing with the States was Polish citizens being granted a visa and flying to the States, only to be turned back by immigration there, and flown back. Last year, one of Bush's "gestures" to the Poles was to place immigration officials in Warsaw who could deny passenger entry to the US before he got on the plane - sparing him the 8 hour flight back. Thanks Dubya!

That hasn't changed Poles' demand that they be treated on an equal footing as Americans in Poland. I agree they'll continue to put up with the inequality, though I'm not sure for how long, since it makes increasingly less political sense.
Visa free travel will happen only if the refusal ratio at US Embasies in Poland goes below 3% - says US administration. It kind of make sense to me. Why would US accept more illigal immigrants ( many Poles overstay their visa time - I did! ;) ) or have "tourists" from Poland who's main interest is to find a job.I have onced applied for US visa and while waiting for my turn could see who was waiting in line to "visit" US - I didn't make any sourvey but I'd say 85% people in line were cooking some lies to tell the US clerk. 50year old guy standing right in front of me when asked "What is your purpuse of vist to US?" answered that he had his own real estate and some land for which he had some pappers and that he had no intentions to leave Poland for good. He was so nervous, expecting to be examined that he decided to put all his arguments on the table at start yet couldn't tell anything about his cousin he was so desperate to see in US nor what kind of relation he had with that cousin - and these were the following questions from the clerk. All he could say was he wanted to visit his cousin. Should he be given tourist visa? Standing behind him I "knew" guy had some kind of construction job set up ...Don't get me wrong! As a Pole I am for no visa travel for Poles. Because I did overstay my visa I don't want even want to apply for next visa and risk loosing 100 USD for chating with US embassy clerk and this time I'd realy go for 2-3 weeks to see some friends and have latte.
Kosciusko was more than a soldier without an army. He was the founding father of Polish democracy equivalent to George Washington. Since than Poles have always been Americanphiles and I cannot think of a major dispute between US and Poland. Cold war does not count as Poland was held at gunpoint and appreciated US leading the fight to preserve free world from Communism.

Kamil
Robert-

I don't have any problem with Poles coming to the US to work. Polish travel to the US should be visa-free. period.

Kamil-

He was a soldier without an army before he went to America. Later in life he led a heroic military career, I'll grant.

And if the Cold War doesn't count, then it's easy to say that there has never been any major dispute between the US and Poland, because it excludes 50 of the most turbulent years in history. Anyways, it's easy to love the enemy of your oppressor.

For the rest of America's history, Poland was more or less controlled by another state. That leaves the last 17 years for a 'major dispute' to appear. Give it time.

Demographic studies show that while the older generations are still enamored with the US, the shine is wearing off for the young. Sure, there hasn't been a major dispute in recent memory, but that doesn't mean there will never be one.
I'll repeat and add some new info, jmo - but I'm right.

The US government doesn't give a rats ass about illegal workers who don't blow things up or start mafias. No matter what the government says, there are always plenty of loopholes for illegal workers to make it in and start laboring. The same goes for people overstaying their visas, if you otherwise obey the law and don't get welfare, the US government doesn't really care (and by how long? there's an automatic extension of a month or so after the written end of most visas).

The visa program for countries like Poland is a for profit business and as long as Poles line up and pay their money, there's no reason for the US to change its business model. It's called supply and demand.

The fact that the US government seems to be able to get whatever it wants from the Polish government while giving nothing in return is gravy from it's point of view.

If governments were people, Poland would be the girl infatuated with the cool jock. She does his homework and washes his car for him hoping he'll ask her out some day. Of course he has no intention of ever doing that but he's happy to smile at her once in a while and point out that spot on the fender she missed.
Merry Christmas!
And a merry christmas from root vegetables everywhere
Merry Christmas Gus & E. Nice looking tree.

I just got a notice from photobucket that its time to pay for another year of exceeding free bandwidth.

I see that some photos here are hosted by flicker in lieu of photobucket, could you drop your photobucket altogether?

I also see Blogger has started a free image hosting service, but its just for the posts, not site graphics.

Neither Flicker's nor Blogger's appear to be as easy to use and as versatile as photo-bucket's....do you concur?
Merry Christmas from the WS household RT!

If you don't know anything about writing html, then photobucket is definitely the more versatile. Flickr has lots of advantages, though. For example in my yearly membership I get tons of uploading capacity each month that I don't need. I could use that for my blog images. Since I myself have figured out more or less how tow work with photos in html, I probably could drop photobucket althogether. Flickr has some kinks it needs to work out, including using less Flash - but all in all it's a nicer interface in my opinion than photobucket.

However, I like to keep my personal photos in one place, and my blog photos in another. Sometimes I blog my personal photos, but I don't want friends and family browsing through useless icons, etc. to look at my pics.
Lech Kaczynski takes office today
I love duck...beats carp all to hell. As far as Kaczynski is concerned, I asked every person I know in Warsaw and nobody here voted for him. It all laid in the hands of the outlying polish folks that are afraid of change I guess. People need to riot...
Happy Holidays!
Gorgeous...Make a difference and shine!Cheers and merry Christmas,

Dezso
He is showing a lot of five hole there isn't he?
I guess Dezso is a Wings fan (and rightly!).

unless he's sitting down - in which case he's very cleverly covering his cup!

Here's one guy who really doesn't like the zamboni driver ;-]
I was researching Vodka today (Christmas presents for Clients), and it seems Polish tater sqeezens are the world's finest.
Chopin and Belvedere are very fashionable in the States right now. Oh yes, and they're fantastic.

I ordered a shot of vodka when I was in the States for Turkey Day. Some mass-produced crap. I almost choked.

Before I came to Poland, I never appreciated vodka - and I'm not being sarcastic. It was something you mixed in party drinks or drank really fast straight to get hammered. Polish vodka is the sippin' kind. Never in my life thought I'd enjoy a vodka.

One of Poland's best vodka makers, Polmos Białystok, has just been taken over by an American alcohol distributor (which up to now has only distributed in Poland) that wants to export Żubrówka to the US. They may have already started, I know they had the distribution channels set up before they even bought the company.

If you can find it, Żubrówka is what you want to give your clients.

It's name roughly means bison-grass, one blade of which you'll find in every bottle. Poland is the only (I think - maybe there are some in Belarus or the Kaliningrad oblast?) place in Europe where Bison still roam. It's a colored, spiced-vodka, and the spices suppposedly come from the same grass that the bison graze on. It's excellent straight, or mixed with apple juice.

And lookee here! Checking the website I see that they've already re-packaged, re-named, and re-marketed the stuff. Bison Grass Vodka - BGV - it has the smell of mass-consumerism, not the classic look it has in Poland. (label link)

There's ordering information there. Nice kinda wild-west connection with the Bison too. Could go down well with Texan clients.
Yup. I'm already at odds with the new marketing.

"The One with The Grass" - What the heck does that mean? Is it the vodka you drink with a joint? It sounds like something a Pole would say.
I'll let you know. ;-)

But I was up against a deadline ya know....the Chopin has been delivered already.
Wish you would have let me know earlier.

Ah well, Chopin is really good stuff too.

Maybe just order the Żubrówka yourselffor yourself

sorry. it's real late here.

Pronunciation: zhoo-BROOV-ka
I can't drink żubrówka anymore. It has to do with the exciting story of how I learned not to mix vodka and wine in the same evening (over ten years ago, but the smell of żubrówka still makes my stomache hop around).

I'm partial to luksusowa, a not so expensive, not so high profile but excellent potato vodka.

The first time I went to Poland, the vodka of choice was żytnia made from rye and very yummy (and best at room temperature). But quality control issues in the early 90's and more choice meant that it all but disappeared.

But anymore, I tend to drink other stuff (in moderation of course) especially the newer high quality flavored vodkas and vodka like products (my particular favorite is actually from Lithuania called Benediktynas(sp?) an herbal liqueur with a strong flavor of elderberry flowers.
A Lithuanian vodka!

You traitor! ;)
I'm in heaven
Forgive my lack of Polish, but some of the pics look like kids (wearing a variety of US teams' helmets?!). Who the heck are they playing? Are they entering Euroball, or whatever it's called now?!
Many of them are kids. If you click on the "Druzyna" link, you'll see individual pics with their ages. The group says it recruits anybody age 18-30.

Hey, it's not professional or anything, but it's something. That the team is so youthful (lots of kids 20-21) will just make it more fun to play - Maybe I could teach them something (??)

I also found a team called the Pomorskie Seahawks (I had the link, and then I lost it. I'll find it and post it). There's also the Pardubice Stallions, who look to be a Czech team.

I'm not looking for world-beaters. I'm just looking to get involved in a sport I love.
Here it is: www.pomorze-seahawks.pzfa.pl
There is also the Wroclaw Angels
I especially like the pictures of them playing football in the snow. That's gotta be fun.
There are also rumors that they get together to watch NFL games Sunday eves.

My prayers may have been answered.
I've even heard of some semi-pro baseball teams in Poland.

But american football. Rad.
Going home really screwed you up didn't it?
Well, I certainly did have a one track mind for a while there.
Hello guys!

First of all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I'm one of the players of Pomorze Seahawks. And yes, most of the players in Polish teams are youths... it is because American Football is not popular in Poland and among older people. Youths are more interested in it. We have to start with something so we (we - polish teams) try to get as much people as we can. We are not professional, we are trying to make Football a little more popular in our country. If you have any friends who are willing to help or play just tell them about us. There are teams in Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw, Pomorze (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot). And visit the Polish American Football Association at www.pzfa.pl

If you wish to contact us (Pomorze Seahawks) you'll find the way at www.pomorze-seahawks.pzfa.pl

Greetings
Thanks for the Polish football link sirmicho.

So far I found the Wroclaw and Pomorze teams - is there a website for the Poznan team?

I hope you manage to get many, many more people involved in American football in Poland. I'm doing my best to get involved now. Things won't really ramp up until the new season starts though. When do you guys start playing? And how often do you play eachother?
Here is a link to Kozly Poznan (Goats): http://www.kozlypoznan.republika.pl

We do not have regular games at the moment. There is no league in Poland. So teams play each other only when they set up the game themselves... but there is an idea to start a league - but we need more teams and much more people (and media) involved. Pomorze has started a month ago so the team is new, we only train at the moment, and learn the game (some of us don't have any idea what the football is). We have a coach who was playing football in USA. Warsaw Eagles is the most advanced team in Poland, so you are in good situation. And yes, they watch NFL games at the pub - go ahead and contact them.
Hi there,

at the moment, we have a break until the very begining of February. Of course it doesn't mean there is a lack of activity at all: we do prepare the schedule for the forthcoming season (training camps, tournaments and games - with foreign and Polish teams) as well as the brand new website etc.

If you're looking for further information please feel free to mail me!

Any help would be strongly appreciated!

Jedrzej SteszewskiWarsaw Eagles QB
The first season in Poland starting 8.october 2006 !

www.pzfa.pl (polish american football federation)

League Teams:

Warsaw EaglesThe Crew WroclawFireballs WielkopolskaPomorze Seahawks
Thanks Anonymous. I know. I'll be at the game in Lodz.

Will you?
The bravest woman in Poland
Hi Gus.

You mention that she was connected to the Bielicki government back in the early nintees. That was a right wing government, but which included people like Bochniarz who, if I am right, come from the , now defuct, Unia Wolnosci party. These are people who are basically European social democrats - people like Kuron, Michnik (Adam!). And that's the difference with the right wing government today - they don't have that wing of Solidarity in them - just the right wing nutty bits.

But there is no support for people like her anymore. What did she get in the presidential election? One percent?
Or maybe even less. It's a shame that people didn't listen to her more. Do you think it was because she was a woman, because she was an economic "liberal", or because she didn't have the name recognition?Or was it none, or all, of the above?
I don't think it was because she is female. Poland has had a woman prime minister, Hanna Suchocka, and Hanna Gronkiewicz Waltz was head of the central bamk. It's her party - democratic - which nobody votes for, and she is a bit plain - presidential elections being about personalities. She does look a bit dull, though, doesn't she?
For what it's worth, a whole bunch of people have told me that they would have voted for her "if she had a chance".

Smart, economically sane and socially liberal? She's exactly what the Polish political scene desperately needs instead of the current bunch of nutballs and mediocrities.

gratuituous snipe: I bet stefan hates her.
Beatroot -

Nobody voted for the democratic party this time around because it was new. I'm not sure it's fair to say that nobody "votes" for the democrats, since it was only founded just before this year's elections. Then again, SDPL was also founded this year, and garnered significantly more.

Is Bochniarz significantly more boring than Borowski?

What I wouldn't give for some boring politics in this country.

Michael -

Those people who would have voted for her if she had had a chance - Did they vote for her in the first round of the presidential elections? It would have brought a lot more credibility to her party if they had.
I'm pretty sure they all voted for Tusk hoping for a first round victory (what I would have done in those particular circumstances it actually seemed sort of possible at the time).

I'm hoping they don't give up on the Demokraci and they can stick it out until the next election and make it into the Sejm.